The Legacy of a Bijuu
by Inuluvr
Summary: There has always been a legend that has been whispered by the young nin of Konoha. A legend of a kunoichi that was robbed of the one she loved, slain by the one he risked his life for. She left, but has reappeared, with the power to bring back the dead.
1. Chapter 1

Ok, I want to first apologize to you all for two reasons. First, I don't think that I will be working on Resurrection for a while, and second, I wish to apologize for the characters in this. I realize that many people are against original characters plopped into a fanfiction- especially those that people like to call Mary Sues and Marty Steves. But please try to understand, these characters are only going to be in a few chapters, if more than one. The only one that will be lasting –coughcough- is Kuro.

The only reason I added the three extra is because I need them for the intro. And as for Kuro… well…. I couldn't write this story without him… the whole plot revolves around him, so it might be a little hard to write this without him.

Right, and I want to clear things up for you. Shimazu is the oldest, and is the only kunoichi. The other three are boys: Ochii is the youngest, and the least mature, Kuro is the oldest, and he doesn't say much, and Komatsu is the one in the middle, also the one with the worst temper.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this!

--

The full moon shone brightly on the village below, illuminating the deserted streets of Konoha. The shimmering leaves of the tall trees seemed to give off a soft glow as a gentle wind brushed through the branches. Everything was silent, save the creaking of the trees as the wind passed, and the occasional cricket or frog, shattering the silence with a shrill chirp.

Four figures slunk stealthily through the woods nearby, taking care not to step into moonlight. Hiding themselves in the shadows, they stepped gingerly, one leading while the other three followed cautiously behind. The first one would freeze at the slightest noise- a snap of a twig, or the rustling of leaves, and signal with his hand to command the others to follow suit. Another breeze passed through, and the hiss of the leaves echoed through the night.

"Komatsu-san…" The shortest of the four figures reached to and nudged the leader. The leader ignored the other and continued to step cautiously through the woods. "Komatsu-san…" The first figure hissed his name again, more persistently this time, adding a whine to his voice. However, Komatsu still did not answer. "Kom-"

"What do you want, Ochi?!" Komatsu wheeled around to face the shorter one, irritated with the pestering boy. Ochii sheepishly averted his eyes.

"Well… I was wondering… where are we going again?" He squealed in pain as Komatsu landed a fist hard on the top of the younger boy's head.

"Don't you _ever_ pay attention?" Komatsu growled. "I told you before we left! Keh, I'll let you figure it out yourself, brat." Ochi rubbed the top of his head and stuck his tongue out at Komatsu. "You little brat!" He hissed angrily, and lunged at the taunting boy. After a brief second, however, Komatsu was dragged off, being restrained by a thin, brown haired kunoichi.

"Calm down, Koma-san," She whispered into his ear as he struggled. "We don't want to wake any of the villagers; we'd be in a hell of a lot of trouble." Komatsu stopped struggling, then pulled away from the kunoichi.

"You don't think I know that? I'm aware that we're breaking a million rules by doing this. I'm not stupid, Shimazu." Shimazu sighed.

"Too bad you act stupid." Shimazu shot an angry glance at Ochii. "Listen, Ochii, I want you to start paying more attention. And don't harass Komatsu, you know he has a temper." Komatsu stuck his tongue out at her. The kunoichi merely raised her eyebrow.

"You never told me what we're doing out here…"

"Tch, Ochii. Listen up. We're out here to find that witch. Remember I was telling you about the one who brings spirits back from the dead? If we can find her, we might be able to ask her how her magic works!"

"Oh, I remember now! But wait…" Ochii paused to think, then turned to the fourth nin who had been leaning against a nearby tree, the leaves shadowing his face. "Kuro, why are you here then? You said you weren't interested." Kuro lifted his purple eyes to meet Ochii's and shrugged slightly.

"You don't talk much, Kuro." Ochii pouted, then turned back to Komatsu. "So how far away are we?" Komatsu looked around.

"Actually, I think we're basically there," He pointed to a small clearing ahead, through the thick of the trees. He stepped over a broken log, and made his way over to the clearing. His teammates followed closely behind, and crowded around a small stone protruding crudely from the ground.

Komatsu squatted in front of the grave marker, brushing his hand across the weatherworn stone.

"U-m-ki Na-o" Komatsu shook his head, and stood again. "I can't make out the name, only a few letters. I'm pretty sure this is it, though." The shinobi looked up at the sky and turned to the others. "We should probably find a place to hide and watch the witch. It's almost midnight, so she'll be here soon."

The four nin hid behind trees and awaited the arrival of the 'witch.' Several minutes passed, and Komatsu shifted to look at Kuro.

"I heard the witch used to be a nin from Konoha, like us. I just have to wonder, why did she leave?" Kuro shrugged, then looked around the trunk of the tree he was hiding behind, gazing at the battered grave.

"I wonder… if she and this spirit… were close." Komatsu laughed.

"I doubt she would leave just because the death of one person." Kuro's amethyst eyes flashed briefly, but dulled again as he averted his attention from Komatsu. An abrupt gust of air, stronger than the previous, whipped around them, leaves flying into the air. And suddenly, a lone cloaked figure stood in the clearing, black robes swaying slightly as the air stilled.

The figure reached for her cloak, and drew it back, her pale skin glowing in the soft moonlight. Her expression was filled with worry and pain and a black substance was spattered across her face. She stood for a second, holding her hand to her stomach, anguish distorting her features.

By her appearance, Kuro judged she was no older than 19- much younger than he had expected. She seemed determined, though her emerald eyes were glassy, and her cheeks were blanched and tear-stained. She staggered painfully over to the grave, and collapsed. She reached weakly for the old stone, tears falling to the ground beneath her. She lifted her other hand and grabbed the pendant of a necklace she wore.

And suddenly, a figure began to materialize. The spirit, glowing faintly, was a young boy with blonde hair, and deep, azure eyes. Seeing the kunoichi on the ground, he quickly knelt beside her.

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" He spoke in alarm, narrowing his eyes as he saw her hand on her stomach. "Sakura, you're bleeding heavily, you need to go to the hospital. We need to get you to Tsunade, now." Sakura shook her head, and coughed, blood spurting from her mouth.

"N…Naruto. He's….back…" She was unable to say anything more, as she was overtaken by a fit of coughing. Naruto made a motion to catch her as she fell, but her limp body passed through his arms.

"Sakura-chan! Sakura!" Naruto desperately tried to arouse the pink-haired kunoichi, but froze as a cold voice cut through the night air. His eyes narrowed with anger as he turned to see a raven-haired nin behind him. The black-haired shinobi wore a black cloak with swirling red clouds, accompanies with a light brown hat that resembled that of a peasant's.

"Sasuke…" Naruto hissed angrily at the nin that stood before him.

"Well, if it isn't Naruto…" The shinobi spoke without emotion, his gray eyes dull, and blank. "I thought I rid you from this world." He narrowed his eyes, glaring angrily at the blonde. "But apparently I was wrong about more than one thing…" He trailed off, looking at Sakura who was unconscious with blood pooling beneath her. Unaffected, he turned his attention back to the spirit who knelt beside the limp kunoichi. "Now tell me, where exactly is that Bijuu that you so heavily relied on- when you still lived, that is." Naruto stood up, growling.

"Like I'd ever tell you, traitor." The shinobi stood motionless for a second, then closed his eyes.

"Even though my sharingan doesn't work on spirits, I still have power over you, you know." He took a deep breath. "Did you know, that when a spirit nears the person who killed them, they experience their death again; but this time they aren't given the relief of death." Sasuke slowly opened his eyes and stared coldly at Naruto. Naruto stood rigidly, and within a second, he had fallen to the ground, translucent blood pooling quickly beneath him. "But I know that even if I make you experience death again and again, you still won't give me what I want. You've always been stubborn, and I doubt death could change that." Sasuke turned to where the four eavesdropping nins hid. "But I do know your weakness, Naruto. You would never want to put others in danger." Naruto leapt to his feet as fast as his injuries would allow.

"Don't!"

"Too late." Sasuke activated his mangekyou sharingan cooly, entangling the four nins in the deadly jutsu.

--

Kuro opened his eyes to find himself on the ground, unable to move. The sky above was black, and a bloody red moon illuminated the eerie scene. Sasuke stood above him, his chakra blade above, poised directly above his heart.

"Welcome to hell," he said indifferently. Sasuke plunged the icy cold blade crudely into his heart, then disappeared, leaving Kuro to suffer.

Weakly, Kuro grasped the blade, the pain blinding him. He found himself suffocating, and he struggled to breathe. Everything began to blur, and his entire body began to numb. His vision began to fade, and he began to slip into unwilling unconsciousness.

But suddenly, a figure appeared before him, and with little effort, pulled out the long chakra blade. Kuro gasped as he felt air return to his lungs, and the pain returned to his body. He looked up at his ally and froze, seeing the spirit standing in front of him. The ghost boy was heavily injured: blood dripped from several deep wounds in his chest.

"I'm…sorry…" Naruto collapsed, and Kuro, finding himself free from the invisible bonds, sat up, and looked around. The red moon began to fade, and the sky began to lighten as the scene faded back into reality.

Kuro shook his head and staggered to his feet. There was no sign of either the spirit or the kunoichi. Maybe it had all been a dream?

And that's when he saw them: his three friends, lying unnaturally still on the grass. His eyes wide, Kuro walked numbly to them, and collapsed beside them. Their bodies were cold and Kuro found himself facing the horrible truth: they were dead.

--

Ochi is the word for the punch line in a joke, but the kid's name is actually Ochii. Komatsu calls him Ochi only to annoy him.

I know, I know, such a morbid not to end on, sorry. But I hope you all liked it. This will be continued as soon as possible, as I know where I'm going with this. (Unlike Resurrection –sigh-) Anyway, let me know what you think, and again, I apologize for having the original characters, but they're taken care of now, right?

Inuluvr


	2. Chapter 2

Kuro felt an empty hollowness fill him as he saw his former teammates and friends on the ground. A single thought echoed through his mind, his eyes stretched with fear. They were _dead_. How could it have happened? It had been so abrupt… how could he have survived when they were cruelly murdered?

His body began to tremble uncontrollably, and he fell to his knees, letting his terror get the best of him. He froze as an icy hand touched his shoulder, and he felt his body lock with fright. Was _he_ back to finish him?

"I….I'm sorry…. I couldn't save them…." Kuro looked back at the boy who stood behind him. The spirit's clothes were soaked with blood, and his glassy azure eyes filled with sympathy. Naruto put a shaky hand on Kuro's shoulders as best as he could, his hand passing slightly through the boy's body.

Kuro felt shivers as Naruto came in contact with him, and he pulled away from the spirit, averting his amethyst eyes from the translucent blonde. Naruto pulled his arm back, and lowered his head in mourning.

"I… tried… but…" Kuro looked at the blonde, feeling numb. "…I could…only save you…" Kuro looked up as he felt a cold drop of water fall onto his raven hair. He hadn't even noticed the gray clouds that had now masked the moon. A soft patter of rain began to fall, and Kuro stood with his face to the sky, letting the cold drops of rain slide down his cheeks, mixing with his burning tears.

Without warning, Kuro collapsed, leaving the spirit alone. Naruto gazed through the rain, each of the drops passing through his image. He wished he could feel it. He could almost remember the sensation of touch… he could almost remember it...but it was just out of his grasp. The closest he came was that day… that day it all came to an end…

--

Sakura sighed, looking wearily around the empty halls of the hospital. She yawned as she shut off the last of the lights, and popped her head into Tsunade's room to say goodbye. When she entered her Sensei's office however, Tsunade was sitting hunched over a single file, its papers strewn messily across her desk.

She raised her eyes to see who had come in, and recognizing her student, she leaned back in her chair, stretching her arms.

"Are you going home for the night?" She said, picking up her sake bottle, and draining the last dregs in a single swig.

"Yes…" She raised her eyebrow suspiciously. "Tsunade-sama, I think this is the first time I've ever seen you actually doing work… what are you working on?" Tsunade shook her head and gathered the papers together, straightening them before returning them to the file.

"It's nothing…" She mumbled. Sakura walked over and narrowed her eyes in concern as she read the file's title.

"You really think we should be worried? I mean… he wouldn't kill…" She trailed off, unable to finish the question. Tsunade crossed her legs, kicking them up onto her desk.

"I don't know… but I am taking precautions… it may be only a one-man organization, but that one nin was able to kill every one of his teammates. I wouldn't put it past him to be hunting down Kyuubi… and… I don't think he would have any trouble…" Sakura nodded, turning to hide the tears that burned her eyes.

Tsunade sighed. "But don't worry about that right now, Sakura-san. He's out on a mission right now, but he'll becoming back soon; tonight, probably. And after that, we'll make sure he stays in the village where it's safe." Tsunade stood and walked around her desk over to Sakura, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It'll be ok. Go home, and get some rest."

And so, reluctantly, Sakura began to walk home down the dark main street of Konoha. Sighing, she decided to make a brief stop to the training grounds; she had left several of her scrolls behind, including the scroll for the new technique she was creating and teaching herself: the technique to seal or reseal a demon inside of someone.

Sakura, having always gotten good grades in class, believed that if she applied a few principles here and there, she would be able to do what the Yondaime had done, but without the sacrifice of a life. Tsunade had supported her in this research, though Sakura had not mentioned it to anyone other than her mentor. She wanted to surprise everyone with a new technique that might help if another bijuu attacked.

So far, she had managed to make the seal completely once; though after she was done she had been drained of energy.

As she arrived at the training grounds, Sakura found herself yawning again, exhausted from a long workday in the hospital. She stretched, then began lifting the scrolls from the ground, stacking them under her arm. She paused for a moment as she thought she heard the sound of clashing knives. Listening intently, she heard nothing, and shrugged. If it was a fight, it was probably just a friendly one between two shinobis. Merely practice.

Stifling another yawn, she picked up the last scroll, and cast a final glance around the training grounds. The equipment needed replacement: the punching bags were tattered, and those filled with sand had large mounds formed beneath them. She would replace them, but it would have to wait until morning. It was dark, a little later than one, and she needed to get home.

She turned to leave, but froze as she heard rustling in the brush behind her. Caught off-guard, Sakura spun around, intently watching the moving bushes. Cautiously, she withdrew a kunai from her pouch, and waited for the other to show himself.

In a sudden streak of an orange and black jumpsuit, Naruto toppled out of the bushes, landing facedown in the mud of the training grounds clearing. Sakura, surprised, waited for him to get up, and laugh at his clumsy entrance. But he did not move.

Confused, Sakura stepped towards him, calling his name softly. It was only then she saw him closely, and understood why he did not get up. His clothes were tattered, as though he had been fighting in a war, and blood from large gashes across his body bled through his orange garb.

"Naruto! What's happening?!" Naruto's cerulean blue eyes snapped open, and he took a broken breath.

"Sakura-chan… there's no time to explain…I need you…" Sakura eyed him suspiciously, glancing back nervously at the forest behind her. "Are you being followed?"

"Yes." Naruto responded in a raspy voice. "But that doesn't matter. What matters…." He paused for a moment to regain his energy. "What matters now… is that you can hide Kyuubi…" Sakura felt her heart pick up speed. "How-"

"Sakura, I know you've been working…. on a technique…. Take Kyuubi out of me…. And…. And hide him…"

"No! Naruto, if I do that….."

"I'm aware, Sakura-chan…..and… I need you to…. Do this for me…. For… Konoha…" Naruto writhed, curling himself into a ball as a shot of pain streaked through his entire body.

"Naruto!" He opened an eye and spoke pleadingly, gasping with each word. "Sakura… Kyuubi knows…. Find someone… who can harness his power… he will cooperate… he knows……." Naruto began to drift off, blood pooling beneath him, but was suddenly racketed by a fit of coughs, blood spurting from his mouth. "Sakura… Kyuubi will not return to his body… he will stay a spirit, so you can easily….. seal him elsewhere…."

Sakura was stunned. What should she do? Panic surged through her veins, and she felt herself begin to tremble. What was happening? Why was Naruto pleading for his death?

"Sakura… hurry…" She turned to him, his limp body tattered and covered with blood. "He's…. coming…." Sakura's eyes widened, and she spoke breathlessly. "Who?"

"Aka……tsu….ki…."

--

Naruto blinked, the memory of the pain he felt jolting him out of his thoughts. That was the last thing he could ever remember feeling… pain. No, that wasn't true. He still could feel Sakura's soft kiss against his lips… and the hot tears that splattered his face as she cried the last moments of his life. But those memories were cloudy, as he had been close to death.

But the most prominent of the emotions he could remember was the betrayal. Sakura had not killed him. No, he was dying before he even saw her. The one who had really killed him: the traitor. The quisling had even tried to take out Kyuubi while Naruto lay helpless on the ground, a sword shoved crudely into his chest. And yet somehow, with the most powerful and last remaining Akatsuki member after him… he had been able to escape, living long enough to do what he truly wanted to do….

He lived just long enough to save Kyuubi…. And to see her one final time, giving her his farewell. He would never forget the tears she shed for him. Nor would he ever forget her warm body close to his as life drained from him. She had hugged and kissed him, then with tears, had ripped the demon from his body.

Naruto turned as he heard Kuro begin to stir, groaning softly as tried to lift himself off the ground. Naruto looked at the boy, curiously examining every aspect of him. As he sleepily opened an eye, Naruto saw his iris was a fiery red. Kuro looked at the spirit that sat next to him, whose concern was clouding his translucent eyes. Kuro smiled, seeing the boy.

"**It's been a long time, Naru-kun**." Naruto's eyes stretched wide as he recognized the low, raspy voice. Kuro wasn't conscious yet. The one who he was talking to was someone Naruto had known so long ago. Kuro frowned as Naruto gazed into his bloodthirsty eyes. "**He's back, isn't he**?"

Naruto bowed his head, lowering his eyes as he spoke. "Yes… and… and he's taken her."

"What?" Surprised by the change of voice, Naruto lifted his head to see two amethyst eyes looking back at him, confused. He shook his head.

"It's nothing… just… how are you feeling?" Kuro didn't answer. Several moments of silence followed. He looked at the gravestone blankly, then turned his gaze back to the spirit.

"You liked her, didn't you…?" Naruto blinked, surprised. "I wasn't ready for that."

"Did you?" Kuro ignored the spirit's attempt to change the subject. Naruto sighed, and looked away, trying to hide the pain in his eyes.

"Yes…"

"And she liked you back?" Naruto ignored Kuro, then stood, his image wavering slightly.

"I need your help, kid." Kuro looked at the spirit, then wistfully back at his friends' bodies, which had not moved since he had collapsed.

"Why me? Haven't you brought enough hell to my life?" Naruto did not respond.

"I'm sorry… I know, I'm too weak." Naruto said feebly. "I can't even feel anything anymore, let alone touch anything."

Kuro shook his head. "No, you tried to save them, I should help you…. But why choose me? I'm not even in a team yet… only a year into the academy…"

"Yes, but you've got something nobody else has. You have a power that I used to have… You are a Jinchuuriki."

--

Hey, all.

Long time no write, eh? Hehe, not much to say, it's been a long year, and it's finally coming to a close. Yay! I've got a day of final-studying ahead, so I'm keeping this brief and to the point. Thanks for all the support! Love to hear from you all!

Inuluvr


End file.
